"Unleashing the Superpowers Within: How I Turned My Passion for Comics into a Career in Writing"

Photo Credit: Left (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)/ Right: Steph C.

So this is the story all about how I went from comic book fan to comic book writer, 10 years after graduating college for Creative Writing. I've been a hardcore fan of Comic Book/Manga fan since I discovered Sailor Moon and Wolverine all in the same year at 9 years old. I went to school to be writer and continued going to Comic and Anime Cons with my friends into and through college. I was a fan and I was adjacent to that world for a long time.

In the Spring of 2021 I had lunch with my good friend and author David Bowles at Nana's Taqueria in Weslaco, TX. While shooting the breeze and talking about life and the creative process he asks me if I'm interested in writing on an possible upcoming project. There isn't much going on in my world at the time, I'm an indie musician and dealing with chronic pain from a car accident. I think about the fact that the last time I wrote in a contracted manner was for one of the local paper's in the RGV (Rio Grande Valley) right out of college. I'm up for the challenge so I say, "Sure, let me know when it happens." In October of 2022, I release his podcast episode on my fledgling podcast "Accordion 2 Me" and after we record he asks me if I'm still interested in a fiction writing project.

I say, "Yes."

I start receiving emails with details on the project titled, "The Thirteen Origins" and go about picking one of thirteen characters that will be featured in a set of books leading up to a group series. Everything is laid out. Contracts are signed. Press Releases are released. Now the real work begins to craft a fictional characters origin story.

I along with artist Steph C. who has previously work with: Disney, Warner Bros. DC comics & Fandom Tabletop; come together to create a dreamy and gorgeous world to immerse yourself into. Alongside us, Charlene Bowles is doing lettering and honestly it is just beyond gorgeous.

Below are two pages from the upcoming book:

CHISPA: The Thirteen Origins is a series of one-shot origin stories for the members of The Thirteen, a group of Mexicans and Mexican Americans who discover they are chispas, able to wield impossible powers. Maria Guadalupe "Lupe" Miramontes is stuck in a precarious position as a student-she's from Mexico, but studying in the U.S., dreaming of giving her parents a better life than they have. Shortly after her eighteenth birthday celebration, she is stopped from returning to her studies for misplacing one of her many documents. In a moment of personal weakness, she finds strength in an ancient legend come to life. As the new thrall of a fire wyrm, Lupe needs to decide exactly what kind of spark she should be.

The book is available to order on PreviewsWorld Today:

Cover A

PRE ORDER Dragonthrall Cover A

Cover B

PRE ORDER Dragonthrall Cover B

Also subscribe to Comic Carnales with co-publishers of Chispa Comics David Bowles and Hector Rodriguez III, I will be on the podcast in the coming month. This podcast gives a look at the comics me and others are creating for this series. Excited to have y'all join me on this wonderful comic book journey, as I not only release Dragonthrall, but also just finished writing my second comic with Chispa Comics set in the universe of the Amazon Prime #1 film Black Demon.